Drivers in East Kilbride could be hit with travel chaos due to "significant delays" to a multi-million pound road upgrade.
Work on the £23 million City Deal investment on the Greenhills Road/A726 Strathaven Road corridor started at the beginning of 2019, with the road going from a single to dual carriageway.
At the time, South Lanarkshire Council community and enterprise resources boss, Michael McGlynn, said the main construction phase would take "little over a year to complete".
The road will be widened between the existing dual carriageway on Strathaven Road to the roundabout with Greenhills Road and extending along Greenhills Road to the west to the existing roundabout, which forms the access into Langlands West.
Now main infrastructure works won't be completed before the end of this year, with landscaping works continuing into spring. Covid and supply-chain issues have been cited as the reasons.
And with the road still in upheaval, the council is now considering a nine-day road closure at the Torrance roundabout to expediate works.
Environmentalists and local councillor, Jim Wardhaugh, slammed the project, calling it a "waste of money" and "totally unnecessary".
Plans are also in place to dual Stewartfield Way through the City Deal – work which would take three years to complete.
The City Deal projects aim to generate economic activity, assist in job creation, increase economic growth and improve the attractiveness of East Kilbride to inward investors.
Head of roads and transportation services, Colin Park, said: “The A726 Strathaven Road and Greenhills Road project has been subject to significant delay due to Covid and supply chain issues.
“We are now considering the closure of the A726, north and south of Torrance Roundabout, and to close Greenhills Road at the roundabout at Hurlawcrook Drive to expedite the completion of the project.
“This would be potentially over a nine-day period towards the end of November with access to the residential areas and nearby facilities maintained at all times.
“The closure would allow the works to be completed in a shorter period causing significantly less disruption than temporary traffic signals would do over a much longer period.
“We are currently seeking feedback on the proposal and a decision how to proceed will be made shortly.
“We expect to complete the majority of the infrastructure works before the end of the year, with landscaping works continuing into spring.”
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